The Bengaluru based institution’s blatant and open support for anti-CAA agenda and other anti-National activities has angered dutiful citizens of the country and hope that suitable action is taken before it transforms into another JNU.
– Chiranjeevi Bhat
It is in India. It is a government funded Institution. They earn salaries from the Government. And yet their slogans are always against the government. We are talking about the Bengaluru based National Law School of India University (NLSIU) which practices the aforesaid agenda. It is a pity that the governments look away while ignoring all these happening right under it’s nose. It won’t be surprising if we see this institution transform into another JNU genre of a university in Bengaluru soon.
Much discussed topic these days is Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) and NRC, a child that is yet to be born. Even without understanding what the CAA is all about, it is surprising that this University has been mobilizing people and inciting them to protest and demonstrate.
What’s happening at NLSIU?
A cursory glance through the timeline of the official Twitter handle of NLSIU would reveal the answers to the question. Though the tweets claim to be CAA Awareness Programs, the pictures and photographs attached clearly show that they are Anti-CAA and NRC. When the protests were at its peak, not only this official handle was tweeting updates about Anti-CAA protests happening at various places , it also called upon people to get on to the streets and fight against it.
Support to anti-CAA protesters
When police took Ramachandra Guha and others into custody at Bengaluru’s Town Hall during a protest, it included 30 NLSIU students and Professor Kunal Ambasta too. Pictures of students who had excitedly posed with Ramachandra Guha were shared from official Twitter handle of the University. It also disclosed the police movements in Town Hall and their actions against protesters and all such crucial information were being tweeted as a warning to other protesters.
Anti-CAA Seminars organised by the University
While no one can be faulted for personal actions and stand of the students and professors, a Government owned University has no business to oppose a constitutionally passed decision of the Government. The university is inviting lawyers opposed to CAA and using the University’s auditorium to organise events titled “Attack on Constitution”. One such event was organised on 6th January 2020 at 8:15pm.
Invitations in Urdu!
When CAA has nothing to do with Indian citizens, the invitations and false information were sent out not only in English, Hindi, Tulu, Kannada and also in Urdu. It is to be noted that Urdu is predominantly spoken by Muslims. Thus sharing wrong information in Urdu, especially when the Act had nothing to do with Indian Muslims, was intended to create fear and also wrong perception about the act in minds of Muslims.
NLSIU based in Nagarabhavi is not a private University but one established under National Law School of India University act (Karnataka Act 22 of 1986) and Officially Gazetted on 29th August 1987. What is the Law Minister doing when a Government owned University is opposing an act officially passed by the Lok Sabha and Rajya Sabha? Law Minister owes us an answer for something like this happening under his very nose.
(The author is a journalist, writer and speaker on current affairs)
